Liwei grinned when a carriage stopped at the side of the sparring ground, in front of the Lu residence. Lu Baiyu stepped out of the vehicle, a wide smile on his wrinkled face. Liwei snorted and bit into his apple. He chewed as he looked at the old man and his annoying grin.

Lu Baiyu's eyes widened in utter surprise when he saw Liwei standing in front of his house, leaning against the wall and waiting like an old friend. He stood motionless for a brief moment, staring at him.

A faint smile played on Liwei's lips. Swallowing the last bite of his apple, he greeted the stunned old man with a casual wave.

"You're back, old man!" he exclaimed. He tossed the apple core into a nearby garbage can and crossed his arms over his chest. "So, where have you been? I've been here for, like, almost an hour."

He made it sound as if they had agreed to meet. But nothing he said was true. He had only arrived a few minutes before, and he also knew where the old man had been. Judging by his gleeful expression, he must have successfully recruited another disciple. And this disciple was Liwei's most precious pawn, Shu Yue.

Exactly as he expected to happen.

Lu Baiyu narrowed his eyes, his hands balling into fists. "What do you want?" There was a slight tremble in his voice.

Liwei let out a low, amused chuckle. The old man looked so nervous. He couldn't help but find it incredibly funny.

"You look tense, old man; is there something wrong?" Liwei asked, a trace of a smile on his lips. He sauntered over to him and put an arm around his shoulder. They were almost the same height. "How about you get some fresh air and loosen up?"

"I already did what you told me," Lu Baiyu said, his voice low and tense. "I'm sure you were here yesterday, so you should know that the scroll was already used as a reward, so why can't you leave me alone? What else do you want?"

"Oh, you've got it wrong, old man." Liwei chuckled. "I'm not here to greet your family."

When Lu Baiyu stiffened, Liwei almost laughed. Lu Baiyu was still unaware that he was a demon, yet he already feared him so much. What more if he found out about his real identity? Liwei smiled as he reflected on the thought. However, he had no intention of telling anyone the truth, not even a single mortal.

You see, you're not the only one who keeps a secret here, woman.

His lips curved into a smile when he thought of his precious pawn.

"Then why are you here? Why can't you just leave me alone?" Lu Baiyu said through gritted teeth.

Liwei's features darkened. He leaned in closer and whispered in his ear, a wicked smile on his lips. "Since I'm already here, I could just kill everyone inside your house right now. Would you like that?"

The color drained from Lu Baiyu's face, and he instantly bowed his head, trembling. "Please have mercy! I will do whatever you want. Just please spare my family's life!"

Liwei couldn't help but let out a quick, wicked laugh, and his friendly demeanor returned. "Let's take a stroll around to help you loosen up, old man. I'm pretty bored too, so I'm fine accompanying you. Besides, I want to talk to you about something."

Clasping his hands behind his back, Liwei started walking down the street. His smile broadened when he heard footsteps following him from behind. People were so easy to manipulate. Just use fear as a weapon and they would obey you like a dog.

Despite the threat, Liwei had no intention of killing him or his family. Lu Baiyu had yet an important role to play. This old man was Shu Yue's only key to finding Liwei, so Liwei would gladly spare his life. Furthermore, it would be up to that human girl to decide whether or not the old man lives. What mattered most to Liwei was that she find him. But only after she finished the little game he had set up for her.

His silver eyes glittered with excitement as he thought of her again.

We'll meet soon, my precious pawn. I know you're looking for me, wanting to catch me. You will very soon.

Because I will let you catch me.

"After this day, I won't show up again," Liwei told Lu Baiyu. When the old man opened his mouth to speak, Liwei held up his hand. "But only if you swear to me that you will not touch her."

Lu Baiyu gave him a funny look. "What do you mean by that? Do you think I'm some kind of bad guy who threatens or harms people like you?"

When he met Liwei's cold gaze, he flinched and cleared his throat. "Look, I'm just an old man from a weak clan. Plus harming someone never crossed my mind unless absolutely necessary, so I don't really get what you're trying to say, young man."

Liwei was aware of Lu Baiyu's plan. He knew of all his schemes and the reason for his visit to Shu Yue. While he meant no harm to anyone, that didn't mean he wouldn't resort to violence once he discovered that his new disciple was plotting against him. But Liwei wasn't really worried for Shu Yue. Everything was going according to his calculation.

Lu Baiyu might believe that everything was going his way, and Shu Yue might have thought she was getting closer to capturing Liwei, but they were nothing more than pawns in his game.

"I know about your little secret," Liwei said with a waggle of his eyebrows. "Recruiting talented disciples? I wonder why."

Lu Baiyu went rigid. He stopped walking and looked at him. "You... H-how did you know about that?"

"I have an abundant source of information," Liwei responded as he came to a halt.

"Who told you this?"

Liwei could sense his anger, but it wasn't directed at him. It was an emotion triggered by the thought of betrayal. Liwei fought off the urge to snort. He was angry for being betrayed?

What a hypocrite.

"Don't worry, you haven't been betrayed; my information didn't come from any of your disciples. Besides, I don't intend to spread this little secret of yours. In exchange, don't make things difficult for her."

"Who are you talking about?" Lu Baiyu said in a sharp and ugly tone as they started walking again. "How about you tell me who this person is you're referring to? Maybe it'll be easier for me to avoid her and save her some trouble."

A faint grin made its way onto Liwei's mouth. "Oh, you'll know, you'll know," he said as he abruptly came to a halt and bowed his head forward. "Well, then, I'll take my leave now; I hope this is our last meeting, but if you ever need me, you can find me at Pipe Forest."

With that, Liwei patted the old man on the shoulder and disappeared into the crowd.